Fine Arts

The IU Southeast Fine Arts department is among the strongest at the Southeast campus through its distinguished faculty, its students, and its ability to form liaisons with local and regional fine arts programs and organizations. The Fine Arts at IU Southeast is a challenging, innovative, and supportive learning program committed to the intellectual and social growth of students, and to the cultural well being of the region.

Occupying three floors of Knobview Hall, the Fine Arts program boasts eight fully equipped classroom studios. Exhibition spaces include the Ronald L. Barr Gallery, where we exhibit artwork by students and faculty at IUS as well as visiting artists and travelling exhibitions. An additional exhibition space, the SpaceLab, is located within the ceramics area. Our visiting artist program is robust as we typically bring about 5-7 national and international artists in each year for workshops, lectures, and demonstrations.

Over 200 students representing a broad cross section of our regional community are currently enrolled as Fine Arts majors at IU Southeast. Many Fine Arts majors reside in Louisville, taking advantage of the resident tuition rates provided by the reciprocity agreement between Kentucky and Indiana. The program is led by 19 Full-time and Part-time faculty, all of which have terminal degrees in their field.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the of Fine Arts program at Indiana University Southeast is to continuously design, build, and implement high quality programs of study in the visual arts and art history that supports, integrates, and contributes to the missions of the School of Arts and Letters and the University. The program affirms and nurtures the intellectual and creative spirits of each individual while providing knowledge and structure to promote the appreciation and understanding of art and art history and of their contributions to the cultures and histories of humanity. Each student is encouraged to develop their own unique vision and critical thinking methods, and to come to a greater understanding and appreciation of the diverse responses and contributions of others. Students will explore how and why they work creatively, as well as develop appreciation for art in both a contemporary and historical context.

To be successful as an artist is a formidable undertaking. The process demands discipline and commitment, perseverance and dedication, and hard work. Both the journey and the destination are richly rewarding. The goal of the IU Southeast department of Fine Arts is to maximize your potential as an artist and to help you realize your dreams. To that end we will challenge you at every stage to achieve your very best. By becoming a Fine Arts major at IU Southeast, you will join a community dedicated to preparing you to meet the challenges and reap the rewards that accompany success as an artist. It is our goal to give the best and most thorough art education we can provide and to encourage each student to be the artist he or she aspires to be.

Degrees Information

The department of Fine Arts awards degrees from two different programs, the B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) and the B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts). The Bachelor of Arts is the most common undergraduate degree, incorporating a general education component in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics, besides the creative experiences in studio art classes and Art History (54 credit hours).

The B.F.A. is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual arts. The degree differs from a Bachelor of Arts degree in that the majority of the program consists of a practical studio component and Art History (78 credit hours), as contrasted with lecture and discussion classes.